Ice Cream Trail cones vandalized earlier in June

After being vandalized the first weekend of June, the Huron-Kinloss Ice-Cream Trail was entirely back in business.

Mario Toad, repaired and with its head reattached by township staff, made the trip via pick-up truck back to the front of the Lucknow Sentinel office on Campbell Street the afternoon of June 12. It’s scheduled to stay there until the fall.

For Kathleen van den Hogen, the artist behind Mario Toad, news of the cone being vandalized was upsetting. The Kincardine resident, who returned to the area from Emily Carr University in Vancouver on May 1, had worked long hours for two weeks on Mario Toad and three other Ice Cream Trail cones to finish them for the start of the season.

“I was concerned that somebody had just taken (Mario Toad) and I didn’t know if they would have trashed it or kept it,” she said. “I was kind of nervous just because I didn’t know where it was.”

Huron-Kinloss staff found the cone part of Mario Toad but it’s top part, the mushroom head of Toad from the Mario Brothers franchise, was missing. The head was later found outside of Moffitness in Lucknow.

Mario Toad’s repair required multiple adhesive coats, both inside where the head contacted the cone and on the outside to seal it. The installation was put back together by the end of the week of June 3 and left to set over the following weekend.

JP Walden, who is a facilities operator with Huron-Kinloss and installed all ten “Sweet Treats” cones on the township’s Ice Cream Trail, did the repair work on Mario Toad and placed it for a second time in front of the Lucknow Sentinel.

When Walden saw Mario Toad come back in its vandalized state he said he was “saddened to see it” just a few days after its placement because of van den Hogen’s effort, as well as those organizing the trail at the township.

“To see someone come in so soon after installation, it was a little heart wrenching because I think they’re really cool and I installed them all,” he said.

Walden said his hopeful that the repairs will hold, but said that “if people don’t care, they’ll do whatever they want.”

Earlier in the month, township staff also found Sammy Sprinkles, another of the “Sweet Treats” stops with objects pierced into his eyes and mouth. Sprinkles was repaired placed back at more visible spot at Lewis Park in Ripley shortly after being vandalized.

When the township spread news about the vandalizing of the Ice Cream Trail, condemnation of the acts was quick. A June 3 post on trail’s Facebook page garnered 50 reactions, 20 shares and 18 comments as of June 16.

Following Mario Toad being repaired and returned to its location, van den Hogen said she was glad to have the Mario Brothers-themed work back in public.

“I’m really grateful that people are out and enjoying the cones because that’s what it’s meant to be for,” she said.